WebUI

Access and control GhostESP through the web interface.

The WebUI allows you to configure GhostESP and manage files from your browser.

Note: Wi-Fi/BLE commands require GhostLink because the radio cannot scan and host the AP simultaneously.

Connecting to the WebUI

Prerequisites

  • GhostESP device powered on and booted
  • A computer, phone, or tablet with a web browser
  • Wi-Fi capability

Steps

  1. Find the GhostNet network

    • On your device, scan for Wi-Fi networks and look for GhostNet.
    • Connect to it using the password GhostNet.

  2. Open the web interface

    • Open a web browser and navigate to one of:
      • ghostesp.local (requires mDNS support; works on most networks)
      • 192.168.4.1 (direct IP; always works)

  3. Authentication (optional)

    • WebUI authentication is disabled by default for faster access.
    • To enable it, run webauth on in the serial CLI or WebUI terminal.
    • When enabled, the default credentials are GhostNet / GhostNet, protected by HTTP Digest (RFC2617) with signed nonces.

Tabs and Features

The WebUI has five main tabs:

Settings

Configure device behavior through multiple pages:

  • Miscellaneous: General device settings
  • WiFi: Wi-Fi configuration options
  • Evil Portal: Portal settings and credential management
  • Power Printer: Power printer configuration
  • RGB: LED/RGB lighting settings
  • Watch / RTC: Real-time clock and watch settings
  • SD Card Config: SD card configuration

SD Card

Browse and manage files on the SD card:

  • Navigate /mnt/ghostesp/ directory structure
  • Download PCAP captures, portal credentials, and other files
  • Delete files to free space
  • Upload custom portal HTML files

Terminal

Execute commands directly from the browser:

  • Type any GhostESP command (same as serial CLI)
  • View command output in real time
  • Useful for quick diagnostics and file transfers

Limitation: Wi-Fi and BLE commands (e.g., scanap, karma start, blescan) cannot run here because the device’s radio is hosting the access point. Running them locally temporarily suspends the AP; to keep GhostNet online, use the Dual Comm tab to send these commands to a paired device instead.

Help

Access built-in documentation for features and commands:

  • Wi-Fi: Scanning and attack commands
  • BLE: Bluetooth Low Energy operations
  • Communication: GhostLink dual communication setup
  • SD Card: SD card operations
  • LED / RGB: LED and RGB lighting
  • GPS: GPS functionality
  • Misc: Miscellaneous features
  • Evil Portal: Portal configuration
  • Printer: Power printer features
  • YouTube Cast: YouTube casting
  • Capture: Packet capture modes
  • Beacon: Beacon spam options
  • Attack: Attack command reference

Manage a GhostLink connection between a paired ESP32 device:

  • View connection status
  • Send commands to the paired device
  • Monitor GhostLink link health

Important Limitations

The WebUI cannot directly run Wi-Fi or BLE commands (e.g., scanap, karma start, blescan). These commands require the device’s radio hardware, which conflicts with hosting the Wi-Fi access point.

To run Wi-Fi or BLE commands from the WebUI:

  1. Set up GhostLink with two ESP32 devices wired together.
  2. One device hosts the access point (runs WebUI).
  3. The other device performs attacks/scans.
  4. Send commands through the WebUI using commsend <command>.

Example workflow:

  • Device A (with WebUI): Hosts GhostNet AP
  • Device B (attack device): Wired to Device A via UART
  • From WebUI on Device A: commsend scanap → scans on Device B
  • From WebUI on Device A: commsend karma start → runs Karma on Device B

Commands that work directly in WebUI:

  • NFC commands (scanning, writing, saving)
  • Infrared commands (learning, transmitting)
  • File management
  • Device configuration
  • Help and diagnostics

Tips and Tricks

Faster File Transfers

  • Use a card reader for faster file transfers.
  • The WebUI file manager is convenient but slower over Wi-Fi.

Toggle Authentication When Needed

  • webauth on — enable HTTP Digest authentication for the WebUI.
  • webauth off — return to the default open-access mode.

Troubleshooting

Can’t connect to GhostNet

  • GhostNet not visible: Reboot the device. It should broadcast the AP within 10 seconds of boot.
  • Connection drops: Move closer to the device or check for interference.
  • Wrong password: Default is GhostNet (case-sensitive).

Can’t reach the WebUI

  • Page won’t load: Try 192.168.4.1 instead of ghostesp.local.
  • “Connection refused”: The device may still be booting. Wait 10 seconds and refresh.
  • Timeout: Check that you’re connected to the GhostNet AP, not a different network.

Login fails

  • Authentication prompts unexpectedly: Run webauth off to confirm the feature is disabled.
  • Credentials rejected: If you enabled auth, defaults are GhostNet / GhostNet (case-sensitive).
  • Forgot credentials: Reboot the device to reset to defaults.

Wi-Fi commands don’t work

  • “Command not available”: You need GhostLink. See GhostLink for setup.
  • Command times out: Verify the second device is wired correctly and powered on.

File manager is slow

  • Downloads are slow: Use a USB card reader instead.
  • Uploads fail: Ensure the SD card has free space and is properly mounted.

Next Steps